WhenToBird

Melospiza georgiana · Passerellidae

Swamp Sparrow: When and Where to See It

Adult Swamp Sparrow
Photo: Sandra Keller, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Swamp Sparrow reaches Rhode Island first, around the second week of September, and New Mexico last, around mid October.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%5%10%Jan 1-7: 3.2% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.0% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.8% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.8% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.7% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.1% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.8% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.2% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.3% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.7% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.7% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 5.1% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 5.9% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 6.5% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 6.4% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 5.1% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 4.3% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.3% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.0% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.1% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.2% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.0% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.3% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 3.2% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 3.1% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.8% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.1% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.5% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.1% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.1% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.1% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.4% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.0% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 3.9% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 6.9% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 8.6% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 9.3% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 8.3% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 6.5% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 5.2% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 4.7% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 4.4% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 4.1% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 4.0% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 4.3% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.9% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
WisconsinSummer visitorMar 22-31May 1-7Oct 22-3115%
MichiganSummer visitorMar 22-31May 1-7Oct 22-3112%
VermontSummer visitorApr 1-7May 1-7Oct 15-2117%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 1-7May 1-7Oct 15-2114%
Rhode IslandPasses throughSep 8-14Oct 15-21Nov 15-2125%
NebraskaPasses throughSep 8-14Oct 8-14Dec 22-319.7%
LouisianaWinter visitorOct 1-7Dec 15-21Apr 1-719%
MississippiWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Apr 8-1418%
AlabamaWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Mar 22-3115%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 22-31Apr 22-3016%
North CarolinaWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Apr 15-2113%
GeorgiaWinter visitorOct 8-14Dec 8-14Apr 8-1410%
South CarolinaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Apr 8-1410%
FloridaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 22-30Apr 1-77.8%
OklahomaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 15-215.8%
TexasWinter visitorOct 15-21Dec 8-14Apr 8-145.6%
New MexicoWinter visitorOct 15-21Dec 8-14Mar 22-311.2%
New YorkWinter visitorMar 8-14Oct 8-14Nov 8-1418%
ConnecticutWinter visitorMar 15-21Oct 8-14Dec 22-3123%
MassachusettsWinter visitorMar 22-31Oct 8-14Nov 22-3019%
New HampshireWinter visitorApr 1-7Oct 8-14Nov 1-719%
MaineWinter visitorApr 1-7Oct 1-7Nov 1-714%
IowaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 8-14Nov 15-2119%
IllinoisWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 8-14Aug 1-718%
PennsylvaniaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 8-14Aug 1-713%
West VirginiaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 15-21Aug 1-79.8%
North DakotaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 1-7Oct 15-216.5%
New JerseyWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 15-21May 15-2125%
DelawareWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 22-31May 1-720%
MarylandWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 15-21May 1-719%
IndianaWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 15-21Jul 22-3114%
OhioWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 15-21Dec 15-2114%
South DakotaWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 8-14Oct 22-315.3%
District of ColumbiaWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31May 1-719%
VirginiaWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31Apr 22-3014%
ArkansasWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31Apr 22-3012%
KentuckyWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 22-31Apr 22-3012%
MissouriWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 15-21May 1-712%
KansasWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 15-21May 1-78.0%

Winter visitor in: New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine

Summer visitor in: Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, Minnesota